Routes as trad in Victoria Range

Another superb line. The best 27 in the 'Grampians' - although most think its actually 28!

Start: Start about 8m R of After Midnight.

A beautiful gobsmacking line. The manky old carrots at the start have now been placed with rings. A long stick-clip is required as the crux is the start.

Start: Start 3m R of the base of the rock step separating the upper and lower tiers of the crag.

Simply awesome. Sustained, technical and amazing climbing the whole way.

Start: As you walk up to the cliff you chimney just past the start (on a sloping ledge to your left) before you get to a ledge and big flat rock up on your right (great place for photos).

"Any object, wholly or partially immersed in a fluid, is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object." Routes like this are why you travel for hours/days to get to the 'Grampians'. First 2 pitches are often worked in 1 pitch from the ground.

Start: Start under a low bolt at the base of the most impressive part of the wall.

1. 20m (22) Up past the bolt then R along a break to a semi-hanging belay.

2. 30m (25) The grey line of holds up the otherwise blank wall. Sucks up dozens of med-large wires. Often done on preplaced gear which probably drops a grade.

3. 10m (26) A little boulder problem around the roof past a bolt. Nobody seems to bother with this pitch.

The best route in the area of it's grade. Starts 4m right of A Burnt Out Case at small roof/overlap. Seams and horizontals to open book corner and tricky final face.

The grey face around right of the cave. Up weird chimney-crack, left along horizontal and climb pocketed wall above.

Can be done in 2 pitches, belay from the large ledge at half way. May add another bolt.

Start on the left of the grey arete.

Follow 2 BR to ledge (possible belay). Straight up past another bolt for 6m then step right to finish up juggy arête. Anchors to descend to the right on top of The Extension Lead or walk off back.

Face with three BRs (then natural protection) opposite Fat Fingered Freak. There is a large chain fixed around chicken heads for belay/lower off

One of the best routes here but requires trad and bolt plates so not hugely popular. Varied climbing! Starts 5m right of 'Fat Fingered Freak'. Stick clip RB from block. Jump for jug and mantle onto ledge. Clip BR and step right then trend back left along sloping orange edge (BR) to under cracked bulge. Pull through this strenuously protected by wires to jug at base of small corner. Clip BR; stem into corner for a few moves then reach out left to escape hold that leads to jugs and top. Single u-bolt lower-off WARNING - single clip and go anchor could be unsafe - please thread direct through Ubolt rather than using the biner. Single set of wires and a finger size cam is the only trad gear required.

"The best line in Australia...". Also notable for the fact that Nyrie Dodd's free ascent was the first Aussie female ascent of a grade 27.

The second pitch roof-crack could hardly be in a better position.

This is also a superb mixed climb at 20, M2 if the roof is aided. Sadly it is often under-estimated and the detritus of retreat is often evident. It is not a practice route.

The start is rather obvious.

1. 50m (20) Up wide crack. Belay at stance where crack ends, about 10m below the roof. A #5 cam is useful on this pitch.

2. 20m (27) Move R to gain nice rail that leads L to the back of the roof, and the start of the roof crack. Follow crack (at either 27 or M2) to the lip and then up to belay stance.

3. 40m (18) Ramble up to the top.

Good. Much better protection than Nice Puss Climb the wall midway between two flake lines to a crack at half-height. Finish up the crack.

Survival of the fittest. Described without the third pitch so that it gets noticed as a fantastic 2 pitch 18.

Start: Start as for Newton's Law.

1. 30m (18) Up "Newton's Law" for 5m then R to the line of big white scooped out pockets. Up these (take slings for threads), then a piton for the finish to the break.

2. 25m (18) Hand traverse R along the rising break to the rap anchor above "Pythagoras' Theorem".

Obvious crack splitting the orange tower.Straight up all the stepped overhangs.

Climb up pillar into large crack, follow up over bulge, traverse right on horizontal seam to centre of the face, then straight up line to ledge before roof, chains are on right of ledge.

Lovely climbing with excellent protection.

Begin on the right edge of the blank orange shield. Up thin broken crack stepping left to flake then straight up the grey streak. The original route stopped here and descent was by scrambling off right with a possible rappel. However, a fantastic new finish was added in 2003 by Josh Janes:

Instead of stopping/belaying, hand traverse straight left under the roof for 15 meters. The difficulty increases as the wall below becomes steeper and handholds become more spaced. Eventually gain a good stance at the end of the roof and belay from a bolted anchor (added in 2017). Rap from here with a single 70m rope (a single 60m rope might reach - watch your ends).

The enjoyable vague arete 6 metres right of the chimney-cleft to the terrace. Originally done as two pitches but pitch two is rarely repeated and is described separately (Turning Turtle) There is a rap anchor above YTTDF

Nice line, nice climbing. Good rock. Retro-bolted accidentally.

Step on chockstone below open book corner in the middle of the wall to gain good horizontal break. Move right on mossy slab into corner proper. Up past FH to steep well protected conclusion. Rap station on ledge.

The grey wall just before the entrance to the gully.

Up subtle wall, starting from small platform immediately right of orange section.

Wall straight up and right of Golden Ghetto Greper.

One of the best. Big central line of the cliff. Starts in middle of wall left of bird poo. Mantle past amazing hole and up slopes past FH to stance (fist sized cam). Tricky moves up and left under roofs past 2 FHs leads to an airy traverse past an old piton (back up with small cam), then a final gnarly bulgy crack with fixed nut. Finish as for Cloud Nine. 3 FHs & Trad.

Sensational overhanging corner on left side of the wall. Exit right at the fianl roof, which can also be climbed direct.

Amazing line.Finishes at SC anchors.

Steep pumpy jug hauling on orange rock. Located on upper wall deep inside chasm. Two RB's to start then medium gear to DRB lower off.

Flake and steep orange wall right of Redline. 3 FHs and full rack required. Rap chain. Can get down with a 60m rope

Classic climbing up the middle of the black slab. It gets an R rating due to a few exciting runouts, although gear shows up when it's needed - except for the final moves from which you do not want to fall off.

Hardly the north face of the Eiger but still a classic long, easy route. The route is much better finished up 'The Flying Dutchman' than The Exit Cracks but for now we'll leave the write-up as is.

Start: Start 30 metres left of "John The Baptist" where a short wall leads to a ramp leading up right.

1. 43m (11) Up the short wall to the ramp. Easily up the ramp to big ledge 5 metres .below the catwalk

2. 47m (1) Climb up to the catwalk and crwal and walk left for 28 metres to a corner. Continue left for another 10 metres to the base of a chimney.

3. 43m (11) Climb the chimney until it narrows then climb the wall diagonally right to the Gallery Window.

4. 15m (11) Go diagonally right along the ramp then go up, tending left to the First Terrace.

5. 43m (15) Move the belay to the right-hand of two chimney-cracks rising from the back of the terrace (The Exit Cracks). Climb the right-hans Exit Crack

6. 46m (-) Up the chimney-gully between the summit blocks.

A damn fine route which sees a lot of wingers off the crux move. Starts from the blocks left of the cave on the L side of 'Red Rain' Wall. Up easily to traverse right along horizontal crack to under the bulge. An easy dyno or mega reach is needed to reach the lip. Continue up obvious line to a stance. Short easy crack on right (which leads to rap chains) or if you still have some go go juice swing left up exciting juggy wall.

The crack on the arete left of "Foxfire" has a good start but then gets quite easy.

1. 26m (17) Step into the crack from the right (direct into crack is grade 18) and up to a ledge.

2. 18m (-) Finish up the line.

Rivals 'Roraima' as an instant classic.Takes the wall topped by a jutting triangular roof which underpins a hanging headwall.

1. 30m (19) Beautiful crack which bisects the otherwise smooth wall.When the angle eases, head up diagonally right to belay near arete.

2. 30m (19) Step left to little orange corner.Verge right up wall and pull over roof. Traverse left along lip of the roof to the brink (fantastic exposure), then up headwall to top, finishing just left of little triangular summit overhang.

Good line, pity about the poor rock quality and fiddly/crap protection. Not worth a star in my opinion.

Start: About 4-5m right up the arete (start off the big boulder to it's right).

Up the arete then left to finish up "Do You Mind If I Smoke?" and rap off at the ledge.

Obvious orange corner starting off a ledge, just a few metres right of "Hot Cross".

Up technical corner to middle of roof and traverse easily left to stance. Scramble off left to rap tree on Hot Cross. There was originally a second pitch up corner and bulge but it adds little value.

Not well-protected. Thin crack 1.5 metres left of the descent chimney.

A thought experiment intended to show that the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics has only a statistical certainty. Start 4m L of Newton's Law. Wall just R of easy crack to ledge, trend R up grooves.

A bit sparse on gear in sections Start at a short groove in the right-hand face, 5 metres right of the right-hand flake. Climb the groove for 3 metres to a ledge. Step left and up the seam for 4 metres to a break. Follow break left for 4 metres to thin crack and up this, 1 metre right of flake line.

a2 + b2 = c2. Prepare your groin for some hypotenuse action. The other ultra-classic line here.

It's supposed to finish via the third pitch of "Darwin's Theory" but this is often ignored.

Start: Start under the central corner.

1. 10m (20) Pocketed crack to ledge at base of corner.

2. 30m (26) The stemming corner, then move left and finish up the arete.

The best line on the wall is now renamed. Starts at the right end of the obvious dyke and follows it all the way back left, finishing at the anchor of 'Mitra e Bello'. Take a number three rock or one camalot for between the second and third bolts. You also need a couple of small cams for the last section.

Striking Orange and Grey corner that can be seen from the road. Perfect rock and a short bush bash from the carpark. A 28m abseil off tat at the end of the 2nd pitch makes it all rather convenient.

1. 20m (20) Up the line to ledge below the steep headwall, to belay on sloping ledge.

2. 8m (21) Exciting climbing for a few moves.

Up 'Flashman' to its first bolt, then follow the large flake feature skywards, past the occasional hollow block, to a piton and a FH. Belay off a tree at the top.

Start off ledge on right side of face. Up through bulge and tend right.

Skanky. The arete with two RBs just right of 'Womble', via the undercut direct start. 'Missing' a third bolt. Stickclip first bolt, and step across from small block oposite to gain rock. Up very fragile mega jugs onto arete. Scamper up the left side (trying to avoid Womble). Place some marginal wires in fragile rock then go up and clip third FH of 'Dislocation' (with difficulty). Finish up the arete past another FH to lower-off.

A very fine pitch. The unpopular second pitch is written up separately.

Noddy's physics need a brush up...there are three Newton's laws, not one! Start under the nice thin crack on the L side of the wall. A great thin crack to the walk-off ledge.

A whimsical journey. Start 3 metres right of "Little Escapes" at a thin line just left of arete.

Thin line then step right to shallow corner on arete. Up corner to ledge just right of large roof. Step left above the roof (?large cam handy) and climb leftwards up the face.

A tricky crux on sensational turtle shell rock. The route begins at the left hand end of the Trench. Follow three FH to a chain anchor. A #2 Rock will protect the start, or stick-clip the first bolt.

Great line up the centre of the wall. Committing start on pockets up to bolts & crack/overlaps, crossing A Burnt Out Case halfway.

An interesting climb and the hardest climb on the cliff for many years. Originally the climb finished up "Catwalk" but it is convenient to leave it at the Gallery Window.

Start: Start at the initialled orange and grey corner just left of "Temple Of Doom", 15 metres right of where the track meets the cliff.

1. 30m (15) Climb the corner, with a diversion onto the mossy left wall at 10 metres.

2. 38m (-) Climb up to the catwalk and grovel 28 metres left to a major corner.

3. 38m (15) Either climb the corner direct or start up the short line 3 metres right of the corner. Follow the line to the Gallery Window.

Great climbing up a corner followed by a series of overhangs.Start down left of 'Roraima' and climb initial wall on pockets, trending right into the line.Straight up line all the way.

Up right of the overhang on the arete, move left below the small bulge and straight up on steep grey rock.

Start: Start at the left arete of the detached block.

The small orange corner. An energetic start off the ground on the arete directly under the roof. Up to the roof, step left and up.

The original trad line of the crag. Starts in the pocket patch off the ledge on the left side of the wall.

Face 2 metres left of "Nice Puss", about 1 metre right of the descent chimney.

Sustained and great.

1. 35m Climb the little corner just R of Wallscrawl, moving R on to the vague arete after the friable section. Up and R on to main wall, then up through smooth section and a little L into the line of weakness which leads to a SHB at central of three deep cracks just above the first main dyke.

2. 25m Continue steeply up the line to tilted horizontal line. Step L, then climb cracks above to a patch of grass, which is just below the second dyke. Head up and R to crack/slot, then straight up crossing horizontal that becomes overlap further R to a dramatic exit L via first weakness R of Whipping Boy etc.

The crack, taking the right-hand branch near the top with some doubtful holds.

Start: On the same block as 'Pangur Ban', 3 metres right of the arete.

One of the better climbs on the crag. No longer a chop route. Claimed by several parties but Mick was first. Climb the corner 1 metre right of Sexual Blur to the horizontal break. Step right and up the overhanging crack.

Start: Just right of 'The Generator Route'.

Up past 3 FH's and wires to horizontal break. Arrange gear then right up to 4th FH. Thin moves over bulge brings some relief and good pro in seam. More hard moves over small roof to buckets. Traverse left to belay.

Mind-blowing roof and arete.

Nothing at all like its namesake but it's not as far to walk.

Start around the arete at the right-hand end of the cliff, 3 metres right of 'Catch It'. Thin crack and wall above, being careful not to escape to the left.

Directly opposite 'Strike the First Blow', is a juggy wall. Start a few metres right and climb the grey face which gets easier the higher you get. At the small red cave climb out the overhung right side and up easily to ledge. There is a mystery bolted rap anchor in the cave.

The crack just left of "Here Kitty", starting on the right and joining the crack above the bush.

Start up Hippy Chick and continue directly up face above.

A fantastic route - it's like an easier version of Archimedes Principle (Eureka Wall)! The rock is superbly featured, but it can be rather brittle (esp on first pitch).

1. 35m It's pretty hard to determine exactly where pitch 1 should go, but all options seem to be about the same difficulty. Aim towards the right most of three deep cracks just above the first main dyke.

2. 30m Up and slightly R, aiming for the distinctive eye (which provides the means for passing through the second dyke). Keep on the same up-and-right trajectory to pull through the overlap to weakness in head-wall.

Again, a good first pitch and vaguely described second pitch. Start at the chimney as for "Snail".

1. 25m (18) Onto the rotten chockstone and take right-hand line to terrace.

2. 25m (18) Up a series of walls to the top.

A pleasant mixture of slab climbing and exposed but juggy face-climbing. Start below central rib, on face R of 'bowl'. 1) 12m Climb the slab and veer R to belay at the L end of a ledge, at a tree. 2) 40m Go up L on to the slabby rib and climb it to the little roof. Go L and pull through the weakness. Up to the next roof, over it, and up cracks to the top.

Steeper than you expect.

Start: The middle of the orange wall on the detached block.

Excellent adventure climbing following the obvious curving line on the L end of the cliff. Generally sound rock and good holds compensate for the tasty steepness. Start at L end of wall at corner under roof.

1. 30m (crux) Up, then move out L to pass overhang. There’s a couple of steps back R to follow the line. Belay on ledge at half height.

2. 30m Continue up curving line to steep exit through notch.

3. 20m Scramble to the top or walk L along terrace to abseil bollard.

Start on ledge. Up and left to ledge of capping block. You can go directly up and over roof at 21.

follow crack on R side of arete until it ends at horizontal. A few moves up the face takes you to crack and arete to top.

The discontinuous line 2.5 metres left of Meow. Step off the block just to left of Meow, move diagonally left to the thin crack that finishes at a small flake. Up the line, over the flake and up.

Used to be graded 27, it is probably easy for 26. The obvious finish to this great route. Instead of veering off left after the first bolt continue straight up past a second bolt. Both bolts are new (2012) and there is a rap anchor above.

Start as for Darwin's Theory for 10m then blast straight up orange wall past very spaced bolts and finish up grey headwall.

Despite the addition of a bolt on the initial arete this is still fairly bold.

1. 27m (22) Climb the short, rounded arete 3 metres left of "Twentieth 'Century' Fox" past a bolt, stepping right into that climb at 9 metres. Continue up the flakes on TCF and traverse left to the second bolt on that climb. Now diagonally right to another bolt and go right and up to a ledge and bolt anchors.

2. 23m (19) Climb delicately left and up with poor protection.

Climbing in superb positions up the most imposing line on the wall. The first ascent was completed in true Patagonian conditions; gale force winds, torrential rain and hail.

Not very well protected The wall and flake just left of Vanya Was A Black Feral Cat In Drag.

The slabby grey wall right of Head Over Heels Start at obvious tree, up to left end of huge cave, continue up line above.

The siuous corner just left of the chasm separating thePassport pinnacle from the main massif.

1. 10m (16) Awkward short corner to large ledge.

2. 30m (18) Follow the corner.

3. 30m (14) Continue up the line until it doglegs right and peters out. Traverse left at this point until able to move up (runout) to the next line that leads to overhangs. Belay where possible.

4. 40m (17) Continue up the line and through the overhangs.

A very impressive line blasting out the biggest part of this massive overhang, on beautiful red stone. The usual warning applies: there's only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads.

Start as for Nomads but stay on the hanging arete/nose, then follow the line of holds rightwards and outwards forever.

Starts 30m left of 'Wild Iris'. In the middle of the wall is several cracklines; this climbs the furthest right one, approx in the middle of the wall. Absorbing rounded holds and the steep angle keep you guessing right until the end. The gear is abundant but fiddly in shallow, scoopy cracks. Rap anchor.

An excellent pumper! Up the crack of White Pointer for a few metres, then boldly wobble your way right to ramp and up to ledge. Four carrot bolts lead the way. Belay off a tree at the top.

Kitty is simultaneously alive and dead ... until you look. Start 15m R of 'Pythagoras Theorem'. Short steep corner crack then L up ramp past bolt. Back R through overlap to 3 more bolts up the wall above.

Variant finish to Bug Powder Dust.

Starts at the BR off the ledge, as for 2nd pitch of Bug Powder Dust. Climb the left side of the pale central streak directly through top bulge. Swing right to top out (or continue straight up for a more exciting finale). Blackness courtesy of the previous week’s Vicparks “controlled burn” (and it's a quote from The Commitments).

Start: Start as for AP

1. 22 - 30m Climb Archimedes' Principle to belay of first pitch then continue along break to Pythagoras' Theorem. Either belay in corner or climb down to Pythagoras' Theorem first pitch ledge. 1 bolt

2. 27 - 50m Continue along obvious traverse line from Pythagoras' Theorem with mostly good holds but poor feet, all the way out to join Vegie Maths at the head wall (2nd last bolt of that route) and follow this to the top. 7 bolts

Adam Demmert and John Schmit climbed pitch 1 in 2009. The Adam and Malcolm did the second in 2014

Quite close to Nomads but it still looks great. The usual warning applies about having only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads.

Break R from Nomads after the 1st bolt, then follow the line of holds 1.5m R of Nomads. It's a shame it finishes in the middle of nowhere at the last bolt a few metres before the lip. There's no anchor - either trust the ring or back-clean it.

Start: Start at the chimney just left of "Fox On The Run"

1. 26m (-) Climb the chimney to the roof and then the corner-crack above the roof to a large ledge on the left.

2. 18m (17) Up the beautiful yellow corner to the roof. Exit right and finish easily.

Start up pockets as for 'Cosmos', then traverse right along break.Up past BR and continue up line past another BR to rap station at roof (just to the right).

Thin line just left of "Flea Bait".

Climb the leaning corner to a roof. Scary moves gain the lip of the roof. Hand traverse left to a shallow corner and pull up for a rest. finish easily.

Up corner. Finish up crack on the L.

Sustained and intricate climbing on the immaculate wall right of "Tortoise". Climb the best bit of the wall past a bolt then veer left to easier ground.

The left arete of the buttress.

1. 20m (22) Up "Sailing Away" for 15 metres then traverse left past a BR to a HBB on left arete.

2. 25m (26) Up the blunt arete above the belay and up to a rest at a huge flake. Up to the roof (crux) and climb rightward across this to the top.

Takes in the cruxes of both routes. Start up MeB at the dike move into TGD.

Start in same groove as "Decapitating Tweety Birds" and at the break continue directly up the wall.

The obvious easy-angled arete at the top of the gully.

Similar climbing to 'Arrows of Desire' but steeper and on even better holds. Start just R of the Ballad of Idwal 'Slabs', 4m L of the little corner. 1) 16m Climb the slab to a ledge. 2) 36m Climb the wall directly above to finish up twin cracks.

West side of entrance to the 'Slow Torture' 'Gully' which is 50m west of 'Wrapped in Pain'. Worthwhile despite the name. Rounded arête with short crack at start. Bulgy and committing finish with last trad below your feet.

Good line with problematic start. Grade opinions vary between 16 and 18. Take the line up the left-hand buttress below the "lion's head".

Link up - Climb Darwins Theory to the top of the first pitch (obvious big break) the head up Diminishing returns for the last couple of bolts to anchor